The Black Sheep
by Chellendora
Summary: Ethan Gage is a sixth year, beater reserve, horrible-at-potions young wizard whose life turns upside down when he joins Dumbledore's Army; the surprise of his life occurring in his own family.
1. Squib or Muggle?

**The Black Sheep**

**Chapter 1:** Squib or Muggle?

The rain came down in sheets, covering the old mini-van and road effortlessly. The squeaking, creaking windshield wipers had barely cleared the window before the view was blocked again. Mr. Robert Gage was bent forward over the steering wheel, squinting as if it would help him to see the road better. In the passenger seat, his wife, Evelyn, was gripping the handle on the door.

"Honey…maybe we should pull over somewhere." Her chocolate brown eyes were wide and her long, straight black hair frazzled. She looked pale, though she normally had a very healthy, lightly tanned complexion.

"Nonsense, I've driven in worse than this!" Robert was the cover image of the word "nerd." He had freckles, thick glasses, and thin balding blond hair. His eyes, however, were bright and vibrant blue, reflecting all the life and spirit he had.

"That would have to be a hurricane, dad," said Ethan from the back seat, a tanned boy with dark hair like his mother's, though his black eyes were unlike his father's or mother's. He was nestled uncomfortably between his two little sisters—he tried to emphasize that they were younger by SIX YEARS when they insisted he sit in the middle on the way home.

"I'm from New Orleans, son, we grow up knowin' this stuff!" he exclaimed proudly, but Evelyn looked far from convinced. In fact, she looked even _more_ terrified!

To Ethan's left Lethia, a pale skinned, pale haired little beauty looked up from her sketchbook, the brown eyes that matched her mother's trying to gaze through the window as rain drops raced along it. She could only make out the blurred colors and lights of passing cars and buildings.

Ethan took this chance to peer over at the sketchpad. She was doodling some of the things they had seen today. It was Lethia and Jessica's tenth birthday and the fraternal twins had decided on the zoo in London. Unfortunately, the storm had rolled in hours earlier than their father's ultimate country weather senses had predicted.

It wasn't long before Lethia noticed her brother's prying eyes. "E'tan!" she exclaimed, pressing the sketchbook to her chest and hugging it tightly. She had used the nickname she always used for him. When she was first learning to talk, she had been unable to say "Ethan" and instead called him "E'tan." She had just never corrected herself, not that he minded.

Ethan smiled. "What? I can't look?"

"You know you can only look when the piece is finished!" she scolded, holding up one finger as a reproving mother would.

"But that means that I'll never get to see your sketches, Lethy," Ethan fake pouted. He knew he would get to see them anyway.

Lethia sat up straight, sticking her nose up in the air to feign a haughty manner. "Then, brother, you will just have to live with it."

"Oh lord, _stop it,_" Jessica groaned from Ethan's right. She had her face leaned against the cool glass of the window, her arms lying uselessly in her lap. "You two remind me of Full House and it's sickening." Jessica was the spitting image of Lethia, but her skin was much tanner. Jessica spent more time outside than her twin did.

"I think it's sweet, Jessie," Evelyn said, taking any chance to distract herself from her husband's driving. Still, she was looking pale with fright. Everyone's bottoms came off their seats as their dad drifted onto the side of the road and jerked back, hitting a pothole rather hard.

"Sorry!"

"Don't bother, mom. Jess is going through her Darlene stage," Ethan explained.

"Huh?" Jessica asked, emphasizing the caveman question with the size of her mouth, letting her bottom lip hang to the side.

Evelyn blinked and turned to look at Ethan. "Dar…lene…stage?"

"Oh! I know!" Robert exclaimed happily, clapping his hands against the top of the steering wheel. Each time his palms hit the leather their mother hopped with fear, the rest of the color draining from her face until her skin should have been transparent. "Roseanne!"

Lethia giggled and Jessica rolled her eyes, going back to staring listlessly out the window.

Evelyn sighed, visibly relaxing in her chair. This car ride seemed to be taking more out of her than giving birth to three children had. "This family watches too much of the tele."

"I agree." Jessica sat up straight, the cheek that had been pressed against the window pale with cold. "Most of us in this car are magic folk, why do we use so much muggle stuff?"

Ethan rolled his eyes. "Do you know who built the zoo? _Muggles._ You enjoyed that, didn't you?"

Jessica inhaled sharply, setting her shoulders. "That's different!"

"Oh please you two…don't start that _now_…" Evelyn begged, slumping further into her chair. This forty-five minute ride back to Knightsbridge was going to be the death of her. For the rest of the excruciating ride Ethan and Jess argued back and forth about this and that, whether Coke was better than Pepsi, and whether the rumored new Nintendo game system would be able to trump the classic Super Nintendo.

Evelyn was the first one out of the car when they pulled into the driveway of their simple, two-story suburban home, Robert following muttering about how his driving was safer than hers and about the hurricane of '85. Lethia and Jessica made a show of running and screaming through the rain all two yards to the steps leading up to the little porch. Ethan walked casually, letting himself get soaked. He needed a shower anyway. Katie, his girlfriend of almost two years, used to tell him she loved it when it rained because he finally was cleaned off. He didn't think he was _that_ dirty…He was sixteen! It was a rite of passage.

He hung up his coat with the rest of the family's and plopped down on his usual spot on the couch, still in his wet clothes. He kicked on his Super Nintendo and slumped into his "I plan to play this game for hours" position, one elbow on the armrest and the rest of his body sprawled out until he was almost in the floor.

"Don't get too comfortable, Ethan, dinner will be done soon," Evelyn said as she pulled out her wand. With a few flicks, she set the appliances and utensils in the kitchen working to make homemade spaghetti and meatballs. The mail lying on the table also came to her hand. She looked at the cover of the Daily Prophet before passing it to an eagerly awaiting Lethia, then she began to sort through the assortment of muggle bills and owl delivered letters.

"You have your supplies list from Hogwarts, dear," she said, tossing the letter so that it landed on his lap. Ethan just grunted in response and left the letter lying in his lap.

Lethia dropped down on the couch next to him, clutching the Daily Prophet eagerly. The picture on the back was of a couple newly married with newts jumping from the bride's bun as she ran from the church. "E'tan, will you take me with you to Diagon Alley this year?"

Evelyn turned around in the archway connecting the living room and kitchen, glancing from Ethan to Robert who had stopped reading the muggle paper.

Ethan felt all eyes on him and swallowed, unsure of what to say. "I don't know Lethy…If you're not careful you can get lost or hurt really easily there." He spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully. His heartbeat had quickened and he would have felt more comfortable taking a potions exam at that moment.

Lethia's expression fell as she realized that her chances to go where slimming down drastically from her previous hopes. "But you can protect me!"

"Sweetie, Ethan should only be worried about getting the right supplies, and he'll be running into his friends…" Robert said in a tone that was placating, but not condescending.

"I'm ten years old now! I can handle myself!" Lethia's lower lip quivered. "Why is that I never get to do any of the wizarding stuff?"

_Because you may be a Squib,_ Ethan thought sadly. She had never said it outright, but he was pretty sure that his mother would be ashamed to have a Squib in the family. However, she isn't ashamed of muggles (or she wouldn't have married the mugglest of them all, Robert the account) so she treats Lethia like a muggle. Keeping it fair between her and Jessica, who has shown her abilities already, had been hard. Jessica's magical potential first showed itself when she was not even walking yet, when she caused all the presents under the Christmas tree to unwrap themselves.

Before Ethan could think of something to say, Jessica came in from the kitchen and said, "It's because you don't have any magic, stupid!"

"Jessica!" Evelyn scolded but it was too late, the damage had been done. Lethia's eyes widened and immediately filled with tears. Without a word, she jumped up, ran upstairs to Ethan's room and locked herself in. She never went to her room because it was shared with Jessica.

Ethan sighed and turned off the SNES. He stood up and walked around the couch, flicking Jessica in the forehead as he walked by. "Good going, git." Before his mother could get onto him, he was up the stairs in four giant steps. He stood outside his own door and knocked on it. "Lethy, let me in."

"No!" came a weak voice and then a sniffle from within.

"It's my room, and you can't keep me locked out of it."

"Yes I can!"

Ethan sighed and crossed his arms, waiting for a few moments to see if she would let him in or not. When she didn't, he said, "How are we supposed to have our Full House-esque bonding moment if you don't let me in?"

He was met with silence for a few moments longer and then he heard the soft padding of her bare feet across the floor and the click of the lock being turned. He reached out and opened the door, peering in before entering. Lethia was sitting on his low, twin-sized bed, her legs pulled up to her chest. She was still wiggling back onto the bed from getting up.

Ethan walked in and sat next to her, glancing around his room as if he expected something to be different. It was a small room, but it served him well. His desk sat at the only window, piled up with books and video game guides alike. His bed was against the wall, next to the tall wardrobe where he kept the few outfits he owned; after all, he only wore jeans and T-shirts with Quidditch teams on them. His Hogwarts trunk, a beat up black box, sat in the corner, open to show it's guts consisting of old books, robes, a broom, and an assortment of other things. Above that hung his owl's cage, empty at the moment. His wand was always in his pocket even though he couldn't legally do magic outside of school. His room wasn't much, but he loved it. Especially his collection of Quidditch posters that covered the gray walls.

"Jess is right, you know," Lethia said quietly, sucking air through her nose to try to stifle her sniffling. "I don't have any magic…"

"So what?" Ethan said. It would be cruel to tell her she might develop it when more than likely she wouldn't. "You don't need magic. Look at dad; he's perfectly fine without it."

Lethia sighed and unfolded her knees, sitting cross-legged and hanging her head. "I know that, and it's not that. It's that I really, really want to have magic. It would be so cool. All the things I could do…" She looked up at Ethan. "I'm so jealous of you and Jess, and she rubs it in my face."

"Well, you'll probably be able to see all sorts of things that regular people can't see. So in a way, you do have a gift." He smiled at her, a true, happy smile that he reserved for her. "You can draw all those cool things and make lots of money on them!"

Lethia smiled a little at him. "That's true…"

"And you never know, there's a slight chance you could develop magic someday," Ethan said carefully, unsure if he should really be telling her, so he added, "but it's very slight."

"I'll be hoping," Lethia said and smiled a little more, though she looked sad. "But I won't count on it."

Ethan didn't know what to say, so he just pulled her to him in a giant bear hug. After awhile Lethia started wiggling, complaining about not being able to breathe.

"Look, Lethy. When Jess gets a letter and has to go to Diagon Ally, there will be no stopping mom and dad from you coming." Ethan patted her on the head. "And I'll get you some cool wizard trinkets and show you around myself."

"Deal." Lethia grinned.

Before anymore could be said or promised a scream came from downstairs. He could hear things falling over and someone running down the hallway of the first floor. Ethan and Lethia jumped up and ran out to the top of the stairs.

Robert's armchair was turned over and his coffee mug broken on the floor. Standing in the living room was Jessica, laughing so hard she was about to fall over. Evelyn had disappeared from the room, probably chasing down her husband. Sitting on the hearth on the fireplace was a little brownish boreal owl, covered from head to toe in soot from the chimney.

"Oh, Sandy!" Lethia cooed and ran down the stairs, immediately scooping the dirty owl up. "How many times do we have to tell you to come to the window?"

Ethan shook his head, finally coming down the stairs. "I think he knows that dad is terrified of birds so he does it to make his entrance more dramatic."

Sandy, which was just a nickname Lethia gave him, chirruped and ruffled his feathers, sending ash everywhere. He had a pink and purple scarf wrapped around his tiny head that hadn't been there when he left.

"Oh lord, what did Katie do to you, Santa?" Ethan asked, using his proper name, and reached out to him. He untied the letter from his leg and unrolled it. It was from Katie:

_Ethan,_

_Have you gotten your letter yet? The list of books looks scary! We're in for a hard year. When are you going to Diagon Ally? I'll try to be there the same day so I can make sure you get the right stuff. Haha!_

_Oh, have you read today's Daily Prophet? Apparently, Harry Potter is in a lot of trouble with the Ministry. I wonder what happened. The paper is saying he's just seeking attention and they're saying horrible things about Dumbledore!_

_Oh, why don't you let Sandy wear the scarf I made him? He really likes it!_

_Love,_

_Katie _

"E'tan, Sandy's wearing lipstick!"

"What!" Ethan looked closely at his happily chirping owl to see pink smudges on his beak. "Katie's trying to turn my owl gay!"

"Aw, I think he looks sweet." Lethia laughed and carried him into the kitchen to clean him off. Once he was happily wearing his now cleaned and dried scarf, he trotted up stairs by flying to the bottom step and then hopping his way up. Ethan shook his head at his silly bird and watched him go to his room.

"He's in my room now, Dad!" Ethan called down the hallway. After a few moments, a timid Robert peered around the corner, Evelyn at his elbow patting him on the shoulder.

"Really, Ethan, you need to train that bird of yours to come to your window," Evelyn said reprovingly.

"I tried, he prefers the chimney! I think he knows it freaks dad out."

"Freak me out?" Robert shook his head, putting on a brave face. "He doesn't freak me out!"

A hoot came from upstairs and Robert immediately turned pale and would have bolted but Evelyn held fast to him.

Ethan smiled nervously. "See?"

Evelyn just pursed her lips and glared at her son. He shrugged and, shoving his letter into his pocket, headed upstairs. After feeding and giving Santa water, he sat at his desk and cleared off enough room for him to write Katie back:

_Katie,_

_I'm going alone this year because Lethy got upset. I was thinking maybe the first week of August. I was hoping I could come stay with you in London for the rest of the summer? Mom won't mind, and she can convince my dad. Let me know._

_Oh, and stop dressing up Santa like a girl! HE'S A BOY!_

_Love,_

_Ethan_


	2. Bright Scarves and Pink Lipstick

**The Black Sheep**

**Chapter 2:** Bright Scarves and Pink Lipstick

"I still can't believe you purposely got a Troll in Divination!" Katie exclaimed. She and Ethan were sitting on her back porch. Katie had strips of bacon that she was pinching off and tossing to Santa, who was hopping back and forth on the porch rail like a bad carnival game. Her brown hair was pulled back into a casual ponytail, her amber-like eyes watching Santa affectionately. "How do you even do that? Not even take the test?"

"I predicted only happiness and joy for everyone!" he said, purposely making his voice sound as gay as possible. He watched as Santa caught another piece of bacon in his beak and gobbled it down. "Stop feeding him all the time, he'll get fat and not be able to fly."

Katie gave him a skeptical look and tossed Santa another piece. "What classes are you continuing in?"

Ethan had to think for a minute. "Five, I know." He held up a finger as he said each class, "Charms, History…um, Defense against the Dark Arts, Muggle Studies and uh…Care of Magical Creatures."

"Care of Magical Creatures?" Katie raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think anybody was continuing in that class!"

"Mom didn't want me to only have four classes." He rolled his eyes. "She's still harping on me to try for a position in the Ministry, so she thinks the more classes the merrier."

"I think you should try too," Katie said, giving him a sweet look. "You know Ludo Bagman resigned after the Triwizard Tournament. You could try to get his job!"

Ethan let out a short bark of a laugh. "By the time I made my way up that high they'll have replaced him already."

"It's still worth a shot," Katie said. She ran out of bacon bits and got up to take her plate into the kitchen. The window was open though, so Ethan could talk and she still hear him.

"I really want to be on a professional Quidditch team," he said, already imagining himself flying the best broom, beating back bludgers and the crowd cheering…

"I know that," Katie said thoughtfully, washing the plate and setting it on the dish rack. "But that's a long shot too."

"Only because I've been a reserve beater for four years," he muttered, frowning and slumping down more into his chair.

Katie frowned, coming back onto the porch and sitting next to him. "Fred and George will be graduating this year so…"

"So next year I can be beater, yeah," he said, though he wasn't excited. "One year. A professional team will see that and laugh. It makes me look like I was a last resort."

"You're not a last resort! There are people better than they are and they should understand that. Fred and George just established themselves the year before you."

"And they're better than me, I know you're thinking it," Ethan said, but he wasn't angry. He knew it to be true. The Weasley twins were better than he was, but that didn't mean he wasn't any good. He gets to play a good bit, considering that they were often getting detention and not allowed to play in games every now and then, and he did a very good job. Sometimes better, he thought.

"I'm sorry, you know I think you're great," Katie smiled.

Ethan smiled at her. "You have to, you're my girlfriend." He stood up and stretched. It was getting on in the afternoon and they had been sitting on the porch talking since he got there early that morning. "I'm hungry." He kissed her on top of the head as he walked past into the kitchen, immediately going into the pantry to rummage around as if it was his own house.

"Don't eat dad's supply of chocolate frogs. He'll throw a fit," Katie said as she followed him. She pulled him from the pantry and shut the door. "Mom and Dad will be home from work soon and it doesn't take Dad long to whip up some food."

"Fine, fine." Ethan sighed. The two lovebirds headed into the living room to await the parents.

x x x

Ethan spent the rest of his summer with Katie. They played Quidditch in the backyard, magical chess in the living room at night, and made games of eating Bertie Botts' Every Flavor Beans with her dad. Soon the first week of August came around and the two headed to Diagon Alley to get their supplies.

"Where to next? Flourish and Blott's?" Katie asked, looking down at her list. They had already gone to the other shops (and made a couple of detours to Quality Quidditch Supplies and Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor).

Ethan sighed, hanging his head. "If we have to…"

Katie laughed, shaking her head. "Yes, we do." She grabbed his hand and started to drag him towards the bookshop, but they stopped when they heard two familiar voices hailing their names.

Ethan turned to see Alicia Spinnit and Angelina Johnson waving at them. Katie brightened up like a ray of sunshine and waved. "Hey!" She trotted over to them, Ethan following slower.

"How was your summer?" Angelina asked. This started the girlish small talk that made Ethan feel like a dumb lug because he couldn't keep up, didn't want to, and didn't understand half of it anyway.

"So having to drag Ethan around, hm?"

"What?" Ethan snapped out of it, looking down at Angelina.

Katie laughed. "Of course, whatever else?"

"Are you excited about the new Quidditch season, Ethan?" Alicia asked, looking up at the much taller boy. He was about six foot.

Ethan shrugged. "I guess, though I'll only get to play if the Weasley twins get in trouble."

Angelina and Alicia laughed. "Then you'll be sure to play!" she assured him. She then turned to Katie. "We'll see you on the train, okay?"

"All right." Katie waved goodbye and the two headed back on their previous course.

"Ethan?"

"Hm?"

"You…seem more bummed than usual about being a beater reserve."

Ethan sighed. "It's just mom was harping on me all summer about doing something with my life and she doesn't want to accept that I want to just play Quidditch, and it made me realize that I probably really don't have a chance and she'll be right." He felt comfortable confiding in her, she had been his girlfriend for two years on September 15. He wasn't quite as open with anyone else, except maybe Lethia, but he didn't want to talk about this kind of stuff with her because it would bum her out and he wanted her to always be happy.

"Well, you could still try for teams even while working in the Ministry," Katie reassured, linking her arm with his and patting his forearm.

"I know…Lethy heard a lot about it though, and it really got her riled up. She'd never acted so upset about not having magic…"

Katie sighed sadly. "I wish she did, Lethia would make a wonderful witch, better than Jessica." She frowned. "But being Squib isn't a _bad_ thing. Filch is a—" She stopped when Ethan gave her a horrified look. "Ethan I'm—"

"No, let's just drop it for now." Ethan pushed the door open to Flourish and Blott's for her. "Let's get our books and head home." Katie nodded and walked into the store.

x x x

"Advanced Book of Spells?" Katie said as she pulled the book out of her bag. She and Ethan were sitting on the floor of her room, working on packing their trunks. She hadn't touched the stuff she bought in Diagon Alley since she picked it up off the shelf. The next day they were leaving for Hogwarts.

"It has a lot of cool charms in it," said Ethan, who had been reading it already. "Much better stuff that we were learning in the standard book."

"At least you're excited about _one_ class."

"That's not true."

"Oh?" Katie raised an eyebrow.

"I'm excited about Quidditch."

"That's not a class!"

Ethan shrugged. "It should be."

Katie shook her head and continued placing her books in her trunk. Ethan did the same, trying to cram them in with his badly packed robes and other things. Santa chirped disapprovingly from his perch on the lid of the open trunk. Ethan did a powerful push to shove everything down, causing the lid to slam shut on his arms. Santa flew into the air with a terrified hoot and Ethan cried out in pain.

"Merlin—are you all right!" Katie turned quickly, startled by all of the noise. She lifted the trunk lid, showing two red lines engraved on Ethan's arms.

He pulled them back and rubbed them. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"You really should organize better…For starters, roll your clothes. It'll take up less room."

Ethan shooed Katie away. She walked away on her knees, settling back down in front of her trunk. Ethan grudgingly dumped his trunk out and began grumbling as he rolled his clothing. Katie giggled and reached in the bag.

"Advanced Book of Spells Volume One…Defensive Magical Theory..." she continued to say the name of the books as she put them in her trunk, checking them off her list. When she was done, she turned to Ethan's books. "Did you get everything?"

"Yeah," he said, still diligently rolling clothes, though it was starting to get sloppy. Katie didn't seem to hear him. She took his list and sat next to his pile of books. "Advanced Book of Spells…Defensive Magical Theory…a very old, battered A History of Magic…Muggles Around the World…wait, you only have four books."

"So?"

"You're taking five classes!"

Ethan put the rolled robe into the trunk and looked at his pile. "That's all that was on the list."

Katie looked down at his list. "That's weird…what other class are you taking? Care of Magical Creatures?"

"Yeah." Ethan took the list from her and began setting the books in his trunk. "Hagrid probably didn't choose a textbook."

Santa landed on the top of Katie's closed trunk and hooted, trying to get her attention. "Oh!" She got up and went to her dresser, pulling something from a shoebox. It was a pink and purple scarf, this time knitted with a glittery thread intertwined.

"Don't do it!" Ethan protested, pointing his finger at her threateningly.

Katie smirked and walked over to Santa who was rocking back and forth, foot to foot, in excitement. She wrapped the scarf around him and he hopped around happily. "He loves my scarves!"

"They're girly! At least make them a manly color!"

"Katie!" a male voice called from downstairs. "Bed time!"

"That means you have to go to your room," said Katie, dismissing his arguing.

"Take that off him!" Ethan continued to protest.

"Good night," Katie gave him a peck on the lips and began to push him out of her room.

"Take that thing off him, you'll turn him—!" He was cut off when Katie shut the door in his face. Santa hooted happily and flew around the room before settling in his cage, burying his beak in his feathers. He understood "bed time" even though it was just Katie's father's way of saying "Boy, get out of my daughter's room before I _accio_ your head to my hand."

x x x

"Why does your dad hate me so much?" Ethan asked as he and Katie found an empty compartment aboard the Hogwarts Express. He lifted her trunk into the luggage rack and then his.

Katie sat on the bench, right next to the window. "He doesn't hate you! If he did he wouldn't let you spend part of your summer with me."

Ethan sat down across from her and propped his feet up on her bench, trapping her between his legs and the window. "I think your mom has something to do with that."

"She likes you a lot. But dad calls you a playboy."

"What!" Ethan's eyes widened. "But I've only had one other girlfriend than you!"

"He thinks you flirt with all the girls, the typical jock, blah blah blah," Katie smiled. "Don't worry about it."

The light from the window made the glitter in her lip-gloss shine. He noticed how nice her hair looked today, hugging her face. Simple but pretty dangling earrings showed through and she had put on enough make up to still look natural.

Ethan smiled. "You look really pretty."

Katie smiled, obviously pleased, but said, "I know."

"Looking to pick up some guys, huh? Your dad should see what a _playgirl_ you are."

Katie laughed and grabbed a throw pillow from the other end of the bench and beat him with it.

"Uh oh! Ole Ethan's getting the whip again!" A voice roared along with very badly done whip swish noises.

They both looked up to a very tall, wide bulk of a boy standing in the doorway—well, sort of. He was more like making his own doorway by causing the doorframe to bend a little. He had short black hair, cut all the way to his scalp, and dark skin and eyes. His arms where huge but his legs not so much so he resembled an upside down triangle. His head was a square with a large nose, large chin, large lips, and large ears. Behind him stood an attractive boy maybe one inch shorter than Ethan, but he looked so much shorter by the big boy. He had longish blond hair, square frame glasses, and a lanky frame.

Ethan grinned. "Shut up, Mike. Want me to beat you up again?"

Mike began laughing, a booming sound that was probably making the train wobble on its tracks. "Yeah, when I need to be tickled with a feather I'll pick a fight with you!" He forced himself into the compartment, sitting down on the bench with Katie. She suddenly had only a foot of room.

The other boy came in and sat next to Ethan.

He turned to him, still grinning. "How was your summer, Rover?"

"Oh you know…boring."

"Hey." Mike crossed his arms, glaring at Rover. "You were at my house all summer!"

"Exactly." Rover said, looking miserable and worn out. "All you and your dad do is work out. All day. Every day. That's it." He turned to Ethan. "They don't do anything else." His eyes widened, making him look crazed.

"I tried to get you to join us!"

"Your meat-head father would have killed me," hissed Rover.

"Who you calling a meat-head!"

"You."

"Why I ought'a!"

Ethan laughed and looked at Katie. "Don't you love them?"

Katie rolled her eyes. "Oh yes. I'm going to find Angelina and Alicia." She stood and pecked him on the cheek before leaving, only to be pursued by catcalls from Mike.

When she was gone, Mike turned to Ethan. "When you gonna let me have a go with her?"

"Never." Ethan said in a tone that showed this wasn't the first time he had been asked this.

"She wouldn't go for you anyway, she likes a little brain with her brawn," said Rover in his usual creepy, quiet voice. If you didn't know him better you'd think he was a serial killer time bomb.

The rest of the trip went on about like this. Mike and Rover fought like cats and dogs and Ethan played as moderator. More than once the girls from next door asked them to be quiet. After arriving at Hogwarts, Mike could be found sitting on the bench in the Great Hall (reinforced by magic to hold his bulk) and grumbling impatiently about being hungry. Ethan scanned the head table, wondering who was replacing Moody as the next Defense Against the Dark Arts victim. His eyes settled only a piggy woman wearing far too much pink. He also noticed that Professor Grubbly-Plank, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher before Hagrid, had returned.

"Where's Hagrid?" Ethan asked to anyone who would answer.

His friends turned to look at the head table.

"Dunno, mate, that's weird," Mike said.

"I hope he's all right…" Katie whispered.

Professor McGonagall walked to the front of the Great Hall with a stool and the sorting hat. She sat the old, tattered hat on the stool and stepped back. The chatter was suddenly disrupted by the Sorting Hat beginning his song:

_In times of old when I was new  
And __Hogwarts__ barely started  
The founders of our noble school  
Thought never to be parted:  
United by a common goal,  
They had the selfsame yearning,  
To make the world's best magic school  
And pass along their learning.  
"Together we will build and teach!"  
The four good friends decided.  
And never did they dream that they  
Might someday be divided,  
For were there such friends anywhere  
As __Slytherin__ and __Gryffindor__?  
Unless it was the second pair  
Of __Hufflepuff__ and __Ravenclaw__?  
So how could it have gone so wrong?  
How could such friendships fail?  
Why, I was there so I can tell  
The whole sad, sorry tale.  
Said __Slytherin__, "We'll teach just those  
Whose ancestry is purest."  
Said __Ravenclaw__, "We'll teach those who's  
Intelligence is surest."  
Said __Gryffindor__, "We'll teach all those  
With brave deeds to their name,"  
Said __Hufflepuff__, "I'll teach the lot  
And treat them just the same."  
These differences caused little strife  
When first they came to light,  
For each of the four founders had  
A house in which they might  
Take only those they wanted, so,  
For instance, __Slytherin__  
Took only pure-blood wizards  
Of great cunning, just like him,  
And only those of sharpest mind  
Were taught by __Ravenclaw__  
While the bravest and the boldest  
Went to daring __Gryffindor__.  
Good __Hufflepuff__, she took the rest,  
And taught them all she knew,  
Thus the __Houses__ and their founders  
Maintained friendships firm and true.  
So __Hogwarts__ worked in harmony  
For several happy years,  
But then discord crept among us  
Feeding on our faults and fears.  
The __Houses__ that like pillars four,  
Had once held up our school,  
Now turned upon each other and,  
Divided sought to rule.  
And for a while it seemed the school  
Must meet an early end,  
What with dueling and with fighting  
And the clash of friend on friend  
And at last there came a morning  
When old __Slytherin__ departed  
And though the fighting then died out  
He left us quite downhearted.  
And never since the founders four  
Were whittled down to three  
Have the __Houses__ been united  
As they once were meant to be.  
And now the Sorting Hat is here  
And you all know the score:  
I sort you into __Houses__  
Because that is what I'm for,  
But this year I'll go further,  
Listen closely to my song:  
Though condemned I am to split you  
Still I worry that it's wrong,  
Though I must fulfill my duty  
And must quarter every year  
Still I wonder whether sorting  
May not bring the end I fear.  
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,  
The warning history shows  
For our __Hogwarts__ is in danger  
From external, deadly foes  
And we must unite inside her  
Or we'll crumble from within  
I have told you I have warned you…  
Let the Sorting now begin._

Afterward, Professor McGonagall began calling out names of first years to be sorted. Once that business was over Dumbledore stood and silence fell over the Hall.

"To our newcomers," said Dumbledore in his usual megaphone of a voice, greeting his students with a smile, "welcome! To our hands—welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!" On cue, the plates filled with delicious food that looked so vibrant and wonderful that it could have been painted.

"Did you hear about Harry Potter?" Rover whispered from next to Ethan. Without thinking about it, he glanced down the table at the young celebrity.

"Yeah, Katie told me he used magic outside of school," Ethan answered in a whisper.

"Then shouldn't he have been expelled?"

"He's Dumbledore's little pet and a pawn of the Ministry, of course not," Ethan said and ripped a piece of bread from his roll and shoved it in his mouth.

"Lay off," Angelina said, "you're just sour because he got on the Quidditch team his first year and you're still just a reserve."

"Angelina!" Katie scolded.

"Forget it, Katie, she doesn't listen to reason," Ethan said with poison.

Angelina glowered. "I'm the new Quidditch captain, Ethan, so if you want to even play during practice you better start kissing my arse!"

"I'm not putting my lips where Fred's has been!" Ethan shot back.

"Stop it!" Mike bellowed, slamming his fist on the table. Almost everyone turned to look as food flew everywhere. "You're giving me indigestion!"

Everyone stopped arguing, but they also stopped talking. The rest of the meal was eaten in silence. Once the wonderful food had been picked clean, Dumbledore stood once more. Ethan hoped it was a short speech because his full belly was making him very sleepy.

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices." _Good_, Ethan thought, _soon I'll be up in that wonderful bed…_ "First-years ought to know that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bounds to students—and a few of our older students ought to know by now, too." Ethan guessed Fred and George, but Harry Potter's tri-force had gotten into their share of trouble out there. "Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four-hundred-and-sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's door.

We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Drowsy, uninterested applause filled the hall for a few dreary moments. Ethan noticed that Harry and his friends were exchanging worried looks.

"Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the—" Dumbledore suddenly stopped and everyone leaned forward in their seats, all eyes turning to Professor Umbridge. She was now standing and cleared her throat. Surprise rippled through the staff table, but Dumbledore graciously sat down and waited—eagerly, it seemed—for her to speak.

"Thank you, headmaster," she said, her voice making Ethan regret signing up to continue Defense Against the Dark Arts, "for those kind words of welcome." She cleared her throat again and continued, "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say! And to see such happy little faces looking up at me!"

None of the faces were looking very happy at the moment. In fact, some looked quite mutinous for this woman—this _newcomer_—to mess with the order of things.

"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!" Once again, she cleared her throat. Ethan wanted to offer her a lozenge—a poisoned one. "The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by…"

Ethan began to zone out and picked at his plate, moving bits of food about with his fork. He had begun to construct a pyramid of buffalo wings' bones when Katie elbowed him in the ribs. He let out a muffled sound of pain and glanced at her. She just nodded back to the staff table.

"..again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and…"

"What the _bloody hell_ is this crone rambling about?"

"I dunno, mate, but her sweater is making me yearn from some of Mam's pepto-bis-a-ma-thing-un," Mike said, laying a hand on his stomach and looking rather green.

Ethan didn't listen to another word she said, back to constructing his pyramid. When Katie elbowed him again she caused him to accidently destroy it with his fork. He pouted at her.

"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating." Ethan looked up to see that Dumbledore had taken the podium back. He finished his announcements, the only of which that interested Ethan being when the Quidditch tryouts were. He glanced down the table at Fred and George. Maybe he could beat one of them out this year…but what chance did he have against twin talent?

He was the first one off the bench when they were dismissed, making his way out of the Great Hall with his friends before the first years were rounded up and pouring out. He said good night to Katie and he, Mike, and Rover climbed the stairs to their dorm. He fell into bed fully dressed and was out like a light within moments.


	3. Bludgers and Black Eyes

**The Black Sheep**

**Chapter 3: **Bludgers and Black Eyes

Monday was the start of term. Despite how glad Ethan was to be back in school, he wasn't excited about having to get up early, especially because his first class of the day was History of Magic. He loved history, but Professor Binns's teaching style was beyond boring. He wondered how well he would do in the class having it so early.

One person who had no trouble getting up early was Mike. He was up at the crack of dawn doing pushups, sit ups, lunges, and whatever else he could do. He even had his own set of weights packed away in his trunk. This activity, of course, woke up Rover who started to complain, which woke up Ethan and Joshua, the other boy who shared their dorm room.

"You do this every bloody year!" Joshua exclaimed as he got out of bed, pulling on his jeans and a band T-shirt.

"Hey, I have to suffer through you and Rover's poetry pow-wows," Mike countered, pointing a large, meaty finger at him, "you can handle this!"

Ethan chose to ignore them and got ready in silence. He grabbed the olive drab messenger bag from his trunk and put the books he would need that morning in it, and then snuck out the door.

"Quidditch is for wimps," Mike said later that morning at breakfast. He shoveled another plateful of bacon into his mouth and then began to refill his plate for the third time.

"You're just bitter because a broom can hardly hold your bulk," Ethan said, his stomach churning as he watched his friend eat. What he said was true…when Mike got on a broom the poor thing started to groan and flew very sluggishly. Because of that, Professor McGonagall banned him from Quidditch for fear the broom would snap under his weight.

Mike just grunted in response, his third breakfast in the past half hour keeping his attention.

"Morning boys!" a cheerful voice called.

Ethan looked up to see Katie and Angelina sitting down across from him and Mike.

"Good morning, Rover," Angelina said, nudging the gloomy boy with her elbow. "Doesn't all this sun make you happy?"

Rover cut his eyes at her, looking close to murderous. "No," he replied curtly.

"All right now, leave Rover alone," Katie scolded, but she was smiling.

Angelina shrugged and turned to Ethan, the look in her eyes saying that he was her next target. "Ready for Quidditch tryouts tonight?"

Ethan wasn't about to let her prod him into a fight like usual, so he calmly said, "Yep."

Angelina frowned, looking put out. "You people are really boring this morning."

"Maybe because we're not thrilled about your Quidditch tactics," Ethan said, looking pointedly at her. Katie gave him a look of warning but he ignored her.

Angelina visibly tensed. "Excuse me?"

"Tryouts and first practice on the same day? Isn't that a little much?"

"I want to get in as much practice as possible so that we can win this year!" she said in her defense, glowering. "Don't you?"

Ethan didn't answer. Once Angelina got hot and bothered there was no way to win. Arguing was pointless and just proved to give him a headache.

Not receiving an answer from him, she turned on Katie. "Don't you?" Katie only shrugged her shoulders, not going for the bait.

x x x

Ethan was the first one to arrive to Quidditch tryouts. When Angelina and Katie arrived carrying the balls chest between them, he had been circling the pitch making perfect Bludger hits for over an hour. They set the chest in the middle of the field and looked up to watch him.

Katie cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, "Come down from there!"

"You're going to wear yourself out before you can even try out!" Angelina said, laughing. She turned to the chest and kicked it open. Immediately she could hear the sound of the Snitch shaking anxiously in its little prison, eager to get free. The Bludgers shook the whole chest with their violent attempts but were still constrained. Only the Quaffle lay still. She was glad that the ball she was concerned with wasn't bewitched to try and kill her or get away.

Ethan landed, slipping off his broom onto his feet in one fluid motion. He put his broom over one shoulder and the bat over the other. "I'm good. Nothing runs down my endurance," he said with a proud grin.

"Don't suck up to me, Mr. Gage," Angelina said, putting her hands on her hips and narrowing her eyes at him. "I know you already."

"I would hope you do, as many times as I've tried out," Ethan grumbled.

It wasn't long after that that others began to arrive. A few first years filled the stands to watch, they're little faces lit up with excitement and a bit of apprehension; they obviously knew that sometimes the Bludgers would get hit into the stands. When Ron Weasley entered the Pitch carrying a broom Ethan blinked with surprise. As he entered the pitch he clutched his broom tightly as if afraid it would get away from him, and his eyes were glued to the ground, his face as red as his hair. His twin brothers followed him, mocking him and poking at him with their brooms. As much as Ethan liked the Weasley twins he couldn't help but feel sorry for the younger one. Actually, he felt sorry for the whole family. He knew they caught hell off those boys.

Once everyone arrived Angelina clapped her hands and yelled over the talking, "All right, gather around me!" Those to be tried gathered around her, eager and nervous. The tension was ridiculous.

"First things first, if you're a first year, leave. Only second years and up can try out for the Quidditch team," she began, and then began to go through the annual reading of the rules and such as she was required to do. Ethan tuned it all out, but was still able to mouth each word. He had heard it so many times he bet he could recite it in his sleep, if he hadn't already. He glanced over and noticed Katie and the Weasley twins to be feeling the same. When she saw him looking at her she winked, giving him an encouraging smile.

Finally, the real try outs began. Angelina first had everyone who wanted to be Chaser get on their brooms and enter the air. She told them when to pass and who to pass to, and who should make a goal. She would then throw up the Quaffle and watch how they did. She repeated this, giving different people different roles. This part of the try out took the longest. Being a Chaser herself, Angelina scrutinized the people harshly. These were people she would be relying on each game to follow her plays and make shots. Katie was a shoe in; she was fast and graceful in the air. She would catch the Quaffle and pass it in one breath, never faltering. She seemed to be helping the amateurs along more than trying out herself. She knew she would be on the team. Just like the Weasley twins did, as well as Harry, who didn't even have to try out.

Ethan watched. He could feel the tension from the other beaters around him. They were terrified of Angelina, and he didn't blame them. Honestly, he was too. But he wasn't nervous. He knew he was a good player. He just had to be better than the twins this year. It wouldn't do to just be better than one either. He had learned long ago that the twins were a package. You either got both, or neither.

Next were the Keepers. Ethan, along with Fred and George Weasley, were surprised to find that Ron did the best out of all of them. He didn't let a single shot get past him. He still looked awakward and red faced, but after blocking a few shots he began to get more and more confident. Angelina couldn't possibly turn that down, but the boy still looked nervous and sick to his stomach as he returned to the ground and went to sit in the stands with the tried chasers. The stands had filled up with some of his friends now, and they were cheering him on.

And then it was time for the Beaters.

As usual, Fred, George, and Ethan were sent up alone. Angelina always put them together. It was the best way to gauge their skills, as they were obviously the best three Beaters there.

"All right, last one on his broom wins the round," she explained. "Then I will compare the strategies of all of you to decide."

She released one Bludger and it began.

Ethan gripped his bat tightly, his heart racing in his chest. He eyes darted about the Pitch, his ears were alert, listening for the sound of the wind being sliced by the bloody thing. Finally, he caught it. He swung, aiming to hit George. But he countered it, and the Bludger flew back towards Ethan. He dropped altitude to avoid the hit, then climbed again. For a long time now they raced around each other, unable to get any hits or near hits, sometimes unable to find the Bludger. Finally, Fred gave it a good whack and it hit Ethan in the arm. He slipped from his broom but was able to hold on. He pulled himself back onto his broom and darted off to avoid another hit. He caught up to the Bludger and hit it as hard as he could.

It hit its mark. George fell from his broom, catching at it was his right hand but hitting the ground before he could get a good hold. Angelina and Katie gasped, as did everyone in the stands. Once it was known that George was okay Katie began to scream for Ethan, jumping up and down with excitement.

"You can do it, Ethan!" she encouraged.

Full of pride and adrenaline, Ethan rounded on Fred. But he had paused for too long. Fred had been able to get to Bludger. Ethan turned just in time for the Bludger to crash into his already bruised arm, knocking him clear off his broom and onto the ground. He groaned, the force the impact and his throbbing arm felt like he had just got sat on by Hagrid.

"Round!" Angelina yelled as Katie ran over to Ethan.

"Are you okay?" she asked urgently, her eyes wide with concern.

"I'm fine," Ethan mumbled and got up, brushing the dirt and grass from his robes. He held his hand out to his broom and it flew to his hand. "I'll going back to the dorm."

"But you might have made it!" Katie whispered, her eyes still wide.

"No, I doubt that," Ethan replied.

Despondent, he left the pitch. Katie went to follow after him but Angelina stopped her, she was needed there.

Ethan put away his Quidditch gear and slowly trudged up to the dormitory. On his way, he ran into Harry coming down the hallway. He was clutching his hand and looked angry.

"What's wrong with you, Potter?" Ethan asked, though he wasn't sure why he did. He didn't really care at the moment.

Luckily, Harry didn't want to talk at the moment. "Nothing," he said and hid his hand. "How were tryouts? I was just on my way."

"Your friend did well." Ethan walked away then, not wanting to discuss it. He went to his dorm and lay on his bed with his History of Magic book.

Later Katie gave him the news. He wasn't a Beater for another year. The team was set. They had a new Chaser and a new Keeper, but everyone else stayed the same, including Ethan, the backup Beater.

x x x


	4. Lost Battles

**The Black Sheep**

**Chapter Four:** Lost Battles

The first Quidditch practice was that night after tryouts. When Ethan arrived, Ron and Harry were already on the Pitch practicing, obviously trying to get Ron up to speed on being Keeper. That was good, Ethan thought, but he still couldn't help but be bitter. Ron had barely ever played Quidditch yet he had an official spot on the team.

Ethan climbed into the stands with his Charms homework and sat down near the top, where he would have a good view of everything that happened. As he opened his book to begin reading the chapters assigned, he heard a multitude of catcalls and sneers. He looked up and glared. The entirety of the Slytherin team was sitting in the stands below him, mocking the Gryffindor team out on the field.

"What's that Weasley's riding?" Malfoy called out, cupping his hands around his mouth to make sure he was heard. "Why would anyone put a flying charm on a moldy old log like that?" His lackeys, Crabbe and Goyle, and his girlfriend, Pansy Parkinson, began to snicker in amusement.

Ethan watched as Ron and Harry ignored them, hopping on their brooms and kicking into the air. Ron's broom was very shabby, Ethan thought, but he knew that was no fault of his own. He knew from his friendship with the Weasley twins that their family wasn't very well off.

Angelina began practice and was going through the first play when the Slytherins once again interrupted.

"Hey, Johnson, what's with that hairstyle, anyway?" Parkinson nearly shrieked. Her voice was ear splitting. "Why would anyone want to look like they've got worms coming out of their head?"

Ethan clenched his fist and looked at the team. He immediately locked eyes with Katie, who was giving him a fierce warning glare. He grumbled and looked down at his book, trying to concentrate on his reading.

He hadn't gotten very far when the Slytherins began to roar with laughter. His head jerked up to see what had happened, only to see Ron flying towards the ground to pick up a dropped Quaffle. He knew it was probably the Slytherins making him nervous, but he wasn't about to excuse him for that. There would be hundreds more Slytherins jeering at him during the match, he would have to get used to it.

"Hey, Potter, how's your scar feeling?" called Malfoy. "Sure you don't need a lie down? It must be, what, a whole week since you were in the hospital wing, that's a record for you, isn't it?"

Despite himself, Ethan had to cover his mouth to hide his grin. There was truth to what Malfoy said, though for the life of him he would not let that little git see that he had amused him.

Sighing, Ethan closed his Charms book and put it next to him on the stands. He looked up to watch the practice. Ron finally caught the Quaffle. He grinned and very enthusiastically tossed it at Katie. More like chucked it, for it went straight through her outstretched hands and right into her face, hard.

Ethan jumped to his feet in alarm, finally drawing the attention of the Slytherins below him.

"Uh oh, the lug's girlfriend got hurt by Weasleby," Malfoy hissed in amusement.

Angelina roared at Ron, getting him back to his position. Her anger was evident in her voice and how she jerked her hands around in violent gestures. The Weasley twins went to Katie, handing her something to take for the nosebleed.

Ethan's attention was on the Slytherins though, who were stamping their feet and jeering in such glee at Katie's nosebleed that he couldn't ignore them. He rushed down the stands, grabbing Malfoy up by the front of his robes and lifting him off his feet.

"Listen you damn ferret, if you say one more thing about my team or my girlfriend I swear I'll—"

He didn't get to finish his sentence, because a fist collided with his mouth. He stumbled back, dropping Malfoy and collapsing against the stands. He wiped at his mouth, looking at his hand to see blood. He looked up and saw Goyle's fist clenched, a little blood on his knuckles.

That was the last straw.

Enraged, Ethan tackled Goyle and they were rolling down the stands, bouncing painfully against the steel benches. They rolled over the side into the Pitch, punching and snarling.

"Stop it! _Stop it!"_ Angelina roared at them, her and the rest of the team flying down.

Goyle and Ethan didn't seem to hear them. Malfoy, Crabbe and Parkinson were watching from the stands, horrified and delighted at the same time.

Angelina stepped in and grabbed the back of Ethan's robes, dragging him away from Goyle. The boys separated surprisingly easy. Goyle got up and ran off, Malfoy and his other goons roaring with laughter.

"You're an idiot!" Angelina roared into Ethan's ear, but he could barely hear her. His ears were ringing and the coppery taste of blood was making him gag. He spit blood onto the field and turned to look at Katie, who was still bleeding.

"Can't you do _anything_ about that nosebleed?" Angelina demanded.

"It won't stop!" Katie was pale and blood covered the front of her robes.

"She needs to go to the hospital wing," Angelina said, obviously very distressed about the failure that was this Quidditch practice. "This git with her," she added, looking down at Ethan. She let go of his robes and he fell to the ground with a groan.

"We'll take them," Georgia volunteered.

"Yes." Fred added, "Katie may have swallowed—er—a Blood Blisterpod by mistake—"

Angelina sighed. "Well, practice is over then."

x x x

Just when Ethan thought he was going to get away with his fight with Goyle, he was proven wrong. He was sitting in the common room with Katie, who had fallen asleep on the couch. Her nose was normal now, and she was exhausted from blood loss, but Madam Pomfrey hadn't seen a need to keep her in the wing, nor Ethan. He had cracked a tooth, a black eye and a couple of cuts, but all were repaired by Madam Pomfrey; except the black eye. Apparently that was to be his trophy.

He was finally doing his Charms reading, and was almost done when Professor McGonagall entered the common room. He immediately knew it wasn't going to be good.

"Mr. Gage, may I speak to you in my office?" she asked, her hands clasped together in front of her.

Ethan swallowed nervously and stood up to follow; leaving his Charms book in the seat behind him.

He followed his Head of House to her office, fear mounting in him. When she gestured for him to, he sat in the chair in front of her desk. She sat down, laying her hands on her desk and sighing.

"Professor Snape has informed me that you were involved in a fight with a Slytherin. Goyle, wasn't it?"

Ethan swallowed to clear his throat. "Yes, ma'am."

McGonagall sighed. "I shouldn't have to tell you—a sixth year—that that is unacceptable behavior, especially for a Gryffindor." When Ethan didn't say anything, she continued, "I've never had any trouble out of you before, Ethan. Really, I didn't expect this from you. Michael, perhaps, but not you."

Ethan smiled at little. If it had been Mike, Goyle would be dead.

"I can't overlook this." She sighed, pulling over a piece of paper and writing on it. "Fifty points from Gryffindor, and detention." She folded the paper and handed it to him sharply. "Meet Mr. Filch in the trophy room Friday night, you'll be helping him clean."

Ethan took the paper and left the office, dragging his feet and his pride.

x x x

It seemed everyone was finally in the full swing of routine at Hogwarts. There hadn't been any more Quidditch practices since the bloody one back at the start of term, but Angelina was reluctant to talk about it. She seemed to be angry at Ethan and the twins.

Umbridge was showing up everywhere, involved in everything, and always had something to say about it. It was obvious that the teachers were not happy with her scrutinizing. Even Dumbledore seemed to be on edge about her. It dumbfounded the students to hear Dumbledore interrupted and corrected, sometimes even _scolded_ like a child by this intruder. No one could trust her.

Finally, the inevitable happened.

Ethan arrived at the Great Hall late that morning, yawning and still stretching. He sat between Rover and Mike and looked across the table at Katie and Angelina, who were bent in close together, both holding up a copy of the _Daily Prophet._ They seemed distressed, whispering in hurried voices.

"Hey girls, what's going on?" Ethan asked.

Rover was the one who answered. He looked up from his scant breakfast and peered at Ethan from under his bangs. "Umbridge has been declared some kind of High Inquisitor for the school."

"What!" Ethan bent forward and grabbed the paper from Angelina and Katie.

Angelina lashed back, ripping it away from him. He managed to get the corner that had the weather and the date. It was going to be a sunny day, which was good news. He had Care of Magical Creatures that morning.

"What is your problem, Ethan?" Angelina whipped her head around, her braids whirling behind her. "You don't just grab things from people!"

Ethan sighed. "I'm sorry," he said impatiently. "May I please see the paper?"

Angelina regarded him angrily for a few moments longer, and then finally relinquished the paper. "You should consider getting your own subscription."

Ethan ignored her and turned the paper over to the front. He didn't have to look very hard to find evidence for what Rover was saying.

_MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM_

_DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED_

_FIRST EVER HIGH INQUISITOR_

He paused, looking up at his friends in disbelief. They didn't say anything, except, "keep reading."

_In a surprise move last night the Ministry of Magic passed new legislation giving itself an unprecedented level of control at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

"_The Minister has been growing uneasy about goings-on at Hogwarts for some time," said Junior Assistant to the Minister, Percy Weasley. "He is now responding to concerns voiced by anxious parents, who feel the school may be moving in a direction they do not approve of."_

"Since when did Percy become important enough to speak for the Minister?" Ethan asked, looking at Katie.

"He got the job sometime this summer," she answered. "I don't think his brothers are too fond of it…"

"They weren't too fond of him to begin with," Angelina added.

"Who the hell was?" Mike added, having finished his copious amounts of breakfast. "He was a brown nosing little prick."

_This is not the first time in recent weeks that the Minister, Cornelius Fudge, has used new laws to effect improvements at the wizarding school. As recently as 30__th__ August, Educational Decree Number Twenty-two was passed, to ensure that, in the event of the current Headmaster being unable to provide a candidate for a teaching post, the Ministry should select an appropriate person._

"_That's how Dolores Umbridge came to be appointed to the teaching staff at Hogwarts," said Weasley last night. "Dumbledore couldn't find anyone so the Minister put in Umbridge, and of course, she's been an immediate success, totally revolutionizing the teaching at—"_

"Oh good lord, this is going to make me _sick_!" Ethan exclaimed, looking in horror at the paper. He did look ready to retch, his face drawn and his color turning a bit green. "She hasn't taught us anything!"

"It just gets worse," Rover said.

Katie and Angelina nodded in agreement. "Then they start to attack Dumbledore's choices in teachers, saying that Professor Lupin and Hagrid were poor choices. They attacked Mad-Eye Moody as well—,"

"Eh…he was a nutter," Ethan muttered.

Katie ignored the comment, but glared anyway. "Dumbledore is a _great_ Headmaster and they're trying to discredit him."

"It's obvious the ministry wants this Umbridge woman to be the next Headmistress."

"But what about Professor McGonagall? There's no mud they can sling at her, is there?" Mike asked, for once being interested in the conversation.

"They'll probably drag her down with Dumbeldore," Rover said quietly, poking at the remains of his grapefruit. "Say that as Deputy Headmistress she should have been trying to stop him, so she's just as bad."

The girls frowned and Katie said, "That does make sense…"

"This is a load of bat crap," Ethan said, looking down at the paper again. He read the rest of the article. His heart lifted a bit as he read, _"Hogwarts is a school, not an outpost of Cornelius Fudge's office," said Madam Marchbanks. "This is a further, disgusting attempt to discredit Albus Dumbledore."_ But, of course, the _Prophet_ followed it up with a scandalous article about Madam Marchbank and her alleged involvement with goblins over something or another. They were trying to bring down anyone that had anything to do with Dumbledore. Could that be why they had been attacking Harry Potter, their Boy Wonder?

Ethan shook his head at the thought. No, Harry really was just a kid with too big an ego. He probably thought he could get away with using magic outside of school just because he's The-Boy-That-Lived. Dumbledore was an accomplished wizard who had made Hogwarts like a second home to Ethan. He never would have thought that he would think of school as such, but there it was. He would be amongst the ones reluctant to leave at the end of their seventh year, and not just because his future was so uncertain.

"Can I have my paper back now?" Angelina asked. Ethan handed it over and she folded it away into her bag.

"When is your detention?" Rover asked, picking up his bag. Ethan did the same. Waving goodbye to Katie, he, Rover, and Mike headed off to class.

"I still can't believe you slugged Goyle." Mike was grinning from ear to ear. "I'd like to take a go at the fat ass myself one day."

"Only if you want to be cleaning trophies bare handed on a Friday night," Ethan grumbled. The three left the castle and headed out on the grounds for their Care of Magical Creatures class. It was going to be a long Friday.

x x x

**Author's Note: **Sorry it's taken so long to get a chapter out. This one seems a bit choppy…but I tried to make it flow better and tried to not use the book _too_ much.


	5. Hogs Heads

**The Black Sheep**

**Chapter Five:** Hogs Heads

Friday night came all too soon. At a quarter to eight, Ethan bid goodbye to Katie, Mike, and Rover and left the common room, trudging along the hallways as if his shoes were made of solid lead. By the time he reached the Trophy Room, Filch was already waiting and looking really irritated.

"Only one tonight, just you and me," he scoffed. "I have to stay up for this…" he grumbled under his breath as he turned to the cabinet. He unlocked it and then pointed into the corner. Ethan looked to where he was gesturing to see a bottle of cleaner and some old rags. They were so grimy and green he didn't want to touch them, but Filch was already irritated, so he took the bottle and rags and went to work.

Filch had a chair next to the wall, that he used to support him as he leaned back. For the first hour, he just grumbled about being kept up for stupid detentions, that they always put the bad ones on "good ole Filch." Ethan had to fight hard not to roll his eyes at that one.

Eventually, Filch fell asleep and Ethan could relax. He had been tense the entire time, trying his hardest not to say something rude to Filch. He would have just gone running to McGonagall and gotten more detention for it. Filch wasn't worth another wasted Friday night.

He finished quickly and put the trophies back on their shelves as quietly as he could, not wanting to wake Filch. He was notorious for telling students the trophies weren't clean enough and making them clean them again. Even though he was eager to be off to bed, Ethan didn't want to take that risk.

He tiptoed from the room and didn't begin to walk normally until he had gotten a reasonable distance away. He stretched his arms into the air and then turned sharply to the right and left, popping his back multiple times. He was sore from bending over in the same position for four and half hours. He wanted to go to bed so bad that the walk back to the Gryffindor common room just seemed too far away.

He stopped as he got to the stairway and ran into Professor Umbridge coming down the stairway. She started; surprised to see a student in the hallway, and then her pig-like face became stern.

"You boy, what are you doing here? You should be in bed!" The corners of her mouth twitched and Ethan wasn't surprised that she trying to not smirk. She seemed to enjoy getting students in trouble.

"I had detention, professor," Ethan replied flatly.

"Oh? Been a bad boy, have you?" She shook her head as she tutted at him.

"Yes, ma'am," Ethan replied reluctantly, like a good boy.

"Well, get off to bed. If I catch you out here again you'll be serving detention with me." She stuck her piggy nose into the air and continued on down the hallway, her pink heels clicking loudly against the stone floors.

Ethan mocked her with his hand and then pushed the tip of his nose up and pretended to make oinking sounds.

"Why aren't you walking, Mr. Gage?"

Ethan started. "Just fixing my shoe!" he called back, awkwardly pulling at his shoe and then hurrying up the stairs. He gave the password to the Fat Lady, who was very mad at being woken up in the middle of the night, and then hurried into the safety of the common room.

He wasted no time in climbing the stairs to the boy's dorm and didn't even bother changing out of his clothes before crashing onto his bed and going to sleep.

x x x

The next morning Ethan wasn't woken by Mike's exercise, but Katie instead.

"Why in the world did you sleep in your clothes?" Katie asked, giving him a funny look as he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He ran a hand through his messed up hair, and considered it fixed.

"I was too tired to change. After cleaning trophies for over four hours with a grumpy Filch and then running into Um_pig_, I was exhausted."

Some of the color drained out of Katie's face. "You ran into Umbridge last night? Did you get in trouble?"

"No, luckily she didn't want proof or anything that I had detention, but she made sure I heard her threat of not being out after hours again…" He yawned obnoxiously and looked at the clock, his eyes widening. "Bloody hell! It's not even six in the morning yet! Why are you waking me up so early, Katie?"

Katie rolled her eyes. "Have you forgotten? It's Hogsmeade today!"

"So? We have all day, we don't have to go now," Ethan said as he laid down, rolling over away from her.

Katie pulled the pillow out from under him and hit him with it. "Get up!"

"Hey!" He sat up and grabbed the pillow before she could hit him again. "What?" he groaned, turning and letting his knees hang over the side of his bed.

"I have somewhere I want to go," she said, her eyes looking left and right as if afraid someone would overhear them. Rover was dead asleep, and Mike must have decided to go outside and run around the castle, the maniac.

Ethan raised an eyebrow at her. "Katie? Is something going on?"

Katie nodded. "But I can't say anything here. Please come with me. And please promise to keep an open mind?" she asked hopefully.

Bing, bing, bing! Warning! "Whoa…what am I going to have to keep an open mind about?" Ethan asked, drawing away from her slightly in suspicion. "What are you trying to drag me to?"

"Just come, please. I promise it's nothing bad…" Katie said, though she didn't seem so sure about that statement.

"I don't know…"

Katie looked put out. "Please, Ethan…" she pleaded pitifully.

After a moment, Ethan realized that he didn't have the heart to keep denying her so he agreed. She left as he got ready and before long he was standing outside with her, waiting for Filch to check their names off the list.

Katie grabbed Ethan's head and made a beeline straight into the village, dragging the taller boy along with her. When they stopped outside the Hog's Head, Ethan blanched.

"We can't go in there! What has gotten into you?"

Before he could answer, they were joined by many others. Neville Longbottom, Lavender Brown, Alicia Spinnet, and even Angelina were there. The Creevey brothers were there too, as well as Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchly, and a good number of other students that Ethan didn't know by name.

"What in the—" Ethan began but was cut off my Katie as she dragged him through the doorway with the rest of the crowd.

He looked around as they entered, letting his eyes adjust to the dim light. Once they had, he didn't fail to notice Harry Potter and his two friends standing at the back of the room. "No…" he whispered and Katie immediately rounded on him.

"You promised," she hissed through her teeth, giving him a stern look. Ethan sighed in immediate defeat.

As everyone sat down Ethan noticed that Harry was whispering to Hermione, looking quite distressed. Apparently he hadn't expected such a big turnout for whatever reason they were here for.

Fred Weasley came in and ordered Butterbeers for everyone. Ethan dug in his pockets until he found enough coins to pay for his as well as Katie's, and then took the bottle from Fred back to his seat. People continued to come in, the ones that knew Harry, Hermione, and Ron the best sitting around with them. Harry seemed very taken aback by the amount of people, and even Hermione, who had been the collected one, was started to get jittery.

"What the bloody hell is going on here?" Ethan asked.

Katie sighed. "Harry wants to do something about how Umbridge is teaching the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. He wants to get together a group to really study dark arts."

Ethan didn't want to have anything to do with Harry Potter. He was probably just looking for another chance to get more fame. But this was also a chance to pull the wool over Umbridge's eyes and get back at her, and he was all in for that. "Maybe I can deal with it…for now."

Katie smiled warmly at him, glad that he wasn't mad and raging about being brought around Harry 'Boy-Wonder' Potter.

Ethan turned as he heard Hermione say something, though he wasn't sure what, and everyone quieted down and focused on her.

"Well…erm…well, you know why you're here. Erm…well, Harry here had the idea—I mean…"

"She's very eloquent," Ethan said sarcastically. Katie kicked him.

"I had the idea—that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defense Against the Dark Arts—and I mean, really study it; you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us—"

"If it's her idea, I can deal with that easier," Ethan said.

"Stop talking!" Katie hissed at him and kicked him again.

"Stop kicking me! Geez, it's like a bloody horse's kick…" he complained, rubbing his calf that he was more than certain was bruising.

When he began listening again, Hermione's voice had gained much more strength and she was speaking more clearly. "Well, I thought it would be good if we, well, took matters into our own hands."

There was a pause as she glanced at Harry, but she continued with, "And by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just in theory but by doing the real spells—"

"You want to pass your Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL too, though, I bet?" said a boy that Ethan didn't know.

Hermione bristled. "Of course I do! But more than that, I want to be properly trained in defense because…because..." she paused to take a deep breath and then said, "because Lord Voldemort is back."

As the students began to react, some spilling their butterbeers, flinching, and little shrieks from some of the girls, Ethan stood up and pointed straight at Harry. "That's rubbish and you know it! Stop looking for attention, you little snot."

Harry ignored Ethan, though he glared at him.

"Well…that's the plan, anyway," Hermione said, ignoring the exchange between Harry and Ethan. Katie pulled her boyfriend down into his seat, giving him a kick again. "If you want to join us, we need to decide how we're going to—"

"Where's the proof that You-Know-Who's back?' asked one of the Hufflepuff Quidditch players, his voice very accusing.

"Well, Dumbledore believes it—"

"You mean, Dumbledore believes _him,_" Ethan said, gesturing to Harry, taking this chance to jump back into the argument.

"Who are _you_?" Ron asked the Hufflepuff. He knew who Ethan was.

"Zacharias Smith," he said, "and I think we're got the right to know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who's back."

Hermione jumped in before Ron could respond. "Look, that's really not what this meeting was supposed to be about—"

"It's okay, Hermione," Harry interrupted.

"Oh yeah, I really want to hear this," Ethan said sarcastically.

Harry ignored him again. "I saw him. But Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him, you won't believe me, and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone."

"So shut up," Katie whispered angrily to Ethan. He jerked away from her before she could kick him again.

Zacharias rolled his eyes. "All Dumbledore told us last year was that Diggory got killed by You-Know-Who and that you brought his body back to Hogwarts. He didn't give us details, he didn't tell us exactly how Diggory got murdered, and I think we'd all like to know—"

"If you've come to hear exactly what it looks like when Voldemort murders someone I can't help you," Harry said. He looked like he was containing quite a bit of anger. "I don't want to talk about Cedric Diggory, all right? So if that's what you're here for, you might as well clear out." He looked angrily at Hermione, which threw Ethan off a bit. He'd never really seen him get mad at her, though he didn't hang around them any either.

When she began to speak she sounded nervous again. "So, like I was saying…if you want to learn some defense, then we need to work out how we're going to do it, how often we're going to meet and where we're going to—"

"Is it true," a girl Ethan didn't recognize at all interrupted, "that you can produce a Patronus?" Her question was directed at Harry.

Ethan raised his eyebrows. He had heard rumors, of course, but he never really though much of it. If Harry could really produce that bit of complicated magic he might have to start respecting him a little more.

"Yeah," was all Harry said. The set of his shoulders showed he was still in defensive mode.

"A corporeal Patronus?"

Something seemed to click within Harry's head. "Er—you don't know Madam Bones, do you?"

The girl looked proud. "She's my auntie. I'm Susan Bones. She told me about your hearing. So—is it really true? You make a stag Patronus?"

Harry nodded, replying, "Yes."

"Blimey, Harry!" exclaimed Lee. "I never knew that!"

Fred was grinning. "Mum told Ron not to spread it around. She said you had enough attention as it was."

"I won't disagree with that," Ethan muttered and moved his legs away from Katie, permanently sitting sideways in his chair.

"She's not wrong," Harry muttered.

"And did you kill a Basilisk with that sword in Dumbledore's office?" demanded a boy. Ethan thought his name was Terrell Boot or something like that. "That's what one of the portraits on the wall told me when I was in there last year…"

"Er—yeah, I did, yeah," Harry said.

Ethan was surprised that Harry wasn't jumping at these chances to shine. If anything, it looked painful to him. That almost made Ethan hate him more. He didn't seem to realize what all he really had. If he could have even part of the fame of Harry Potter he would be sitting pretty for the rest of his life.

Everyone was whispering, amazed, though Ethan was sure they had heard these stories over and over. He guessed that they were just excited to have it confirmed by Harry.

"And in our first year, he saved that Philological Stone—"

"Philosopher's," Hermione corrected Neville Longbottom.

"Yes, that—from You-Know-Who," he finished.

Others began to ask Harry about the feats he accomplished. They asked about the Triwizard Tournament tasks from the year before, when he had faced a dragon and a deadly maze. They asked him about the Dementors that he had fought off during the summer. Ethan had began to drown it all out with his own thoughts when he heard Harry say—

"No, okay, I know I did bits of it without help but the point I'm trying to make is—"

"Are you trying to weasel out of it now?" Ethan asked, smirking.

"Here's an idea," the younger Weasley boy said loudly. "Why don't you shut your mouth?"

Ethan bristled.

"Well, we're all turned up to learn from him and now he's telling us he can't really do any of it," Zacharias said in Ethan's defense.

"That's not what he said," Fred snarled.

"Would you like us to clean out your ears for you?" George asked and pulled out a very lethal-looking metal instrument from the inside of a Zonko's bag.

"Or any part of your body, really, we're not fussy where we stick this," replied his other half. Ethan couldn't help but laugh.

"Yes, well," Hermione intervened, "moving on…the point is, are we agreed we want to take lessons from Harry?" There was a murmur of agreement from many people, nods of heads, and some just waiting for her to move on. Ethan kept his mouth shut, thanks to Katie's hand. "Right. Well, then, the next question is how often we do it. I really don't think there' any point in meeting less than once a week—"

"Hang on," Angelina said, holding her hands up into the air to stop the show. "We need to make sure this doesn't clash with our Quidditch practice." Ethan rolled his eyes, but he was smiling.

"Or ours," Cho Chang added.

"Nor ours," Zacharias said.

"I'm sure we can find a night that suits everyone," Hermione said impatiently. "But you know, this is rather important, we're talking about learning to defend ourselves against V-Voldemort's Death Eaters—"

Ernie Macmillan interrupted her with a loud, "Well said! Personally, I think this is really important, possibly more important than anything else we'll do this year, even with our OWLs coming up!"

As the boy droned on, Ethan began to drown them out again. He just wanted to get a move on with this. It might be fun, getting to learn more spells and all, but this part was just plain boring. But one thing had begun to scratch and pick at his mind, so when Ernie finally shut up, he took that chance to ask, "So why doesn't Umbridge—or the Ministry—want us to learn how to defend ourselves?"

Others muttered in agreement, curious as to that as well.

"We think the reason Umbridge doesn't want us trained in Defense Against the Dark Arts," Hermione answered, "is that she's got some…some mad idea that Dumbledore could use the students in the school as a kind of private army. She thinks he'd mobilize us against the Ministry."

"That's ridiculous!" Katie said, finally speaking up. "Why in the world would he want to do that?"

"Well, it makes sense," Luna Lovegood said in her soft, trance-like voice. "After all, Cornelius Fudge has got his own private army."

"What? Harry asked and was echoed by many others in the bar.

"Yes, he's got an army of Heliopaths," Lovegood said. Ethan rolled his eyes and let his forehead drop into his hand.

"No he hasn't," Hermione snapped at her.

"Yes, he has," Luna argued.

"What are Heliopaths?" Longbottom asked.

"They're spirits of fire. Great tall flaming creatures that gallop across the ground burning everything in front of—"

"They don't exist, Neville," Hermione interrupted.

"Oh, yes, they do!" Luna said angrily.

"This is completely ridiculous. Can we move on?" Ethan asked loudly and very impatiently.

"Well, once a week sounds good," Lee Jordan said, getting everyone back on track.

Everyone began to discuss which days would be best, and before that was settled they couldn't decide where they should meet. Finally, Hermione said, "Right, well, we'll try to find somewhere. We'll send a message around to everybody when we've got a time and place for the first meeting." She then pulled out some parchment and quill and had everyone write down their names.

Ethan dragged Katie up there with him and signed it quickly, glaring at Harry before leaving the bar. He stood outside with his arms crossed over his chest, waiting for Katie to come out. Once she had, he turned to her, but remained silent.

"So…" she said, looking up at him sheepishly. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to trick you. But it's important to me."

Ethan shrugged. "As long as I don't have to actually interact with Potter it'll be fine. Maybe I can convince Mike and Rover to join as well."

"I bet Rover would be interested," Katie said, smiling up at him happily. She wrapped her arms around one of his as they began to walk, deciding to go visit some of the shops in Hogsmeade before heading back to the castle.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry it's taken so long but I'm not longer doing summer classes. This was a difficult chapter because of the Hog's Head meeting. I didn't want to steal straight from the book, so I changed a few things and had Ethan ignore some too. Haha. There will be more about Ethan in the coming chapters, and less stealing straight from the books.


	6. Banned

_**The Black Sheep**_

**Chapter Six:** Banned

_The wind rushed through his hair, tossing the long strands into his eyes, but he didn't let it bother him. He kept his sights on his target. Ahead of him, a Bludger raced toward one of his teammates._

_In smooth, fluid movements he caught up to the enchanted ball, gripped the bat in his hand, and swung with enough force to make the impact sound like a lightning strike._

_The crowd cheered as the Bludger came within inches of breaking the opposing Seeker's nose. This was just the opening his Seeker needed to search for the snitch._

"_A spectacular play by Gage! Obviously the best new beater in the League…that man will take this team all the way to the World Cup!"_

_Ethan raised a hand to the crowd, who cheered with excitement at being recognized. He caught the eye of Katie, her hands raised in triumph for him, the gold ring glittering on her finger…_

"Mr. Gage!"

Ethan jumped, his head snapping up so fast he almost collide right into Professor Umbridge's large noggin.

He looked around to get his bearings, only to find all of his classmates staring at him with looks of amusement, and drool on his copy of _Defensive Magical Theory._

"You must have really enjoyed that detention you had with Mr. Filch," Umbridge said, her piggy nose up in the air as she paced a short line in front of him. "You definitely seem to be after another."

"Sorry, Professor," Ethan muttered, "Long practice last night." He caught a glimpse of Angelina past Umbridge's hip, mouthing, "Don't blame this on me!"

"If that game is going to be such a problem, I might have to do something about it." Umbridge began a slow waddle back to the front of the room. "I'll cut you some slack today, Mr. Gage, but don't expect such _kindness_ again! Fifteen points from Gryffindor."

As his fellow classmates glared, whether from the loss of points or the threat to Quidditch, Ethan hung his head and focused on the boring text. Didn't they cover Cornish pixies his second year?

x x x

"I can't help but get exhausted in that class," Ethan explained to Katie later that day. Katie, Mike, Rover, and he sat on the grass near the lake, enjoying the chilly weather after being cooped up all morning for classes. When the weather was still transitioning into fall the castle sometimes got stuffy, especially filled with so many people.

"It's not like she's actually teaching you anything useful," Mike said. He picked up another handful of rocks and started skipping them across the lake. Every now and then the squid would catch one and throw it back. Mike would just catch it and put it back in his pile of rocks to throw. "I'm sure glad I decided not to continue that class."

Ethan frowned, gripping a handful of grass and pulling it up. "Do you think she'll really stop Quidditch?" He let the torn blades filter through his fingers idly.

Katie rolled her eyes and smiled reassuringly at Ethan. "There's no way she could get away with that. It's one of the only things that keep students from tearing their hair out during the school year." Katie thought for a moment and then added, "That and the Hogsmeade trip, but only third years and up can go there."

"She's just an evil old witch—"

"Pardon the pun," Mike snickered.

Rover glared at him, and continued to do so as he spoke, "She's just a mean old woman. Dumbledore won't let her do something that drastic."

"She already named herself 'High Inquisitor'," Ethan said, rolling his eyes as he spoke her self-proclaimed title. "She's got the ministry behind her, how could Dumbledore stop her? They're slandering his name left and right."

Katie sighed. "In my opinion, the ministry has more to worry about that backing a woman's tirade against a school sport." She stood up and brushed the grass from her rear end. "I told Angelina I'd meet her at the library to look over our Potions essays before class." She bent over and gave Ethan a peck on the lips. "I'll see you later." With a little wave to Rover and Mike, Katie gathered her bag and headed back towards the castle.

"She's right, man," Mike agreed after she was gone. "She's not going to wage war against Quidditch just because you fell asleep during one of her _boring_ lectures."

Ethan shrugged. He leaned back against the trunk of a large tree and looked out over the lake. The squid's eyes were over the edge of the water, daring Mike to throw more rocks. Mike obliged.

Silence ensued. Rover was engrossed in a book he had checked out from the library about Muggle inventions, _Muggle Ingenuity_. He had always had an interest in anything with an engine. Rover wasn't pureblooded, but both his parents were magical folk and they lived pretty far from their less magical family.

Mike continued to play fetch with the giant squid. It was hard to tell whether the squid enjoyed the game or was trying to hit Mike with the rocks. Sometimes the rocks got pretty close to taking an ear off. Ethan made sure to stay well out of the range of fire.

Instead, Ethan relaxed against the tree and closed his eyes. He didn't want to go back in for class, but at least it was for a class he actually enjoyed—Charms. It surprised him, and Professor Flitwick, that he had a knack for the class. He just really enjoyed the spells. He wasn't as good as some of his other more studious classmates, but he still managed to score an Outstanding on his O.W.L.s!

If Professor Umbridge had been teaching last year when he had to take those tests, he probably wouldn't have gotten Exceeding Expectations for Defense Against the Dark Arts. She didn't teach them anything of use. He honestly believed he had learned more from that crack Lockhart. Umbridge hadn't even permitted them to use their wands yet. Reading about the proper wand motions and doing them were too completely different things. If Voldemort really was back—not that he was convinced that was true—what would they do if they ran into a Death Eater? There could still be an incident like the one at the Quidditch World Cup the previous year to contend with. Death Eaters were really still around; of that he didn't need convincing.

He looked over at Mike and Rover, still engrossed in their leisurely tasks. This idea Potter had about starting up a club to learn defense, should he invite Mike and Rover to come? After all, they just wanted to keep it a secret from teachers. The more the merrier, right? And it wouldn't be fair if this turned out to be a great way to learn defensive magic and he didn't share it with his best mates.

Ethan sat up and turned his body to fully face his friends. "Hey Mike, Rover…can I run something by you?"

x x x

Ethan's heart fell into his shoes. It was a feeling very similar to that of flying and then suddenly dropping out of the air. Not that he would actually feel that anytime soon, not if the sign he was looking at was any indication of that.

_BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS_

_All student organizations, societies, teams, groups and clubs are henceforth disbanded._

_An organization, society, team, group or club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students._

_Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge)._

_No student organization, society, team, group or club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor._

_Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an organization, society, team, group or club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled._

_The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-four._

_Signed: Dolores Jane Umbridge, High Inquisitor._

Ethan felt like this message was screaming, "This is your doing, Gage!" At least, until he turned to see Harry and Ron looking paler than normal. Then he realized that it might not be directed at him at all.

"This isn't coincidence," he overheard Harry say. He looked quite angry. "She knows."

"She can't," Ron said at once, his pasty skin going another shade under.

"There were people listening in that pub, and let's face it: We don't know how many of the people who turned up we can trust…any of them could have run off and told Umbridge…" Harry noticed at that moment that Ethan was watching them, but he didn't say anything, and if Ron noticed, he didn't comment on it.

Ethan took that as his cue to turn around and walk away. What did it matter if they suspected him? He didn't even like Harry. Ron, he didn't have an opinion on. He hadn't gone running to Umbridge. He had even recruited two more people for Harry's little fight club. It was too late for that now it seemed.

As he headed back towards Gryffindor Tower, he ran into Angelina. She was in a hurry, and looked frazzled. Her hair was thrown back in a hasty ponytail of braids, and she sighed in exasperation when she ran into Ethan.

"Whoa, Angelina, where's the fire?"

She rolled her eyes. "Not _now_, Ethan. We have a problem. Umbridge is disbanding Quidditch! We have got to go get permission to reform the team."

"_Now?_" Couldn't a guy get some time to feel guilty first?

"Yes, now! Come on!"

She hurried off, expecting him to follow. Ethan looked back the way he was going to see Katie heading his way. Without a word, they set off after Angelina together.

It wasn't long before they ran into Harry and Ron still standing outside the Great Hall.

"Harry! _Ron!_"

"It's okay," Harry practically whispered to her. "We're still going to—" Ethan knew he was talking about the club, but that was probably the last thing on Angelina's mind at the moment.

"You realize she's including Quidditch in this?" she interrupted. "We have to go and ask permission to re-form the team!"

"_What?_"

"You read the sign, it mentions teams too! So listen, Harry…I am saying this for the last time…please, _please_ don't lose your temper with Umbridge again or she might not let us play anymore!"

"Okay, okay…" Harry agreed, but Angelina was already off like a speeding bullet, and all Katie and Ethan could do was follow blindly.

"See? It isn't your fault," Katie whispered to him so that Angelina wouldn't hear. "Things will be fine. She'll let us play Quidditch."

"It's probably better that I don't go in there though," Ethan said and stopped walking.

Angelina stopped too, and suddenly rounded on him. "That's right! She's already mad at you. Shoo! Get! Katie and I will handle this." She grabbed Katie's wrist and drug her off after her. Katie smiled apologetically and waved before turning to catch up to her friend.

Ethan turned around and sighed, slowly heading back towards the dorms. Suddenly, the idea of eating breakfast just made his stomach hurt way too much.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry that it's taken me so long to get another chapter up. And I'm afraid I can't make this uploading a habit…I start back to school Monday and I have GOT to stay on top of my studies. Badly. But I will still try to find time to write chapters. I won't be studying 24/7! Just now, I'm not abandoning any of my stories.


	7. Dumbledore's Army

_**The Black Sheep**_

**Chapter Seven:** Dumbledore's Army

Ethan was thrilled when Angelina gave him the news that Quidditch hadn't been canceled—she had gotten permission to reform the team. While the team practiced, he and a Bludger duked it out on the other end of the field. He was practicing his swings and hits, but it was such a redundant activity his mind began to wander.

Was Harry still going to attempt to start his club? He didn't doubt that Umbridge would wage full out war on the boy if she was given the incentive—after all, she was a ministry dog (or more accurately, pig). Everyone would be expelled for sure if they were caught.

He wondered why he wasn't more worried about that possibility than he was. His mother would probably come very close to killing him, if she didn't go through with it. His father, though Robert had never been able to get very involved with Hogwarts, would be disappointed. Even though he was a Muggle, he knew that Hogwarts was a good school.

He didn't have long to wait before he received notice from Hermione that they had found a place to practice. So on the designated day, he wandered down the corridor with Kati, Angelina, Mike, and Rover, looking left and right for this secret room they had found.

"Hermione said we had to need it to find it," Katie said helpfully.

"This is ridiculous. Are we being sent on a wild goose chase?" Ethan asked, narrowing his eyes at the nearest wall as if Harry were standing there.

"I don't think so," Angelina said slowly. Mike and Rover stood behind her, looking at the wall with her.

Katie and Ethan stopped when they realized Angelina was no longer with them. They turned to look at her, to find her staring at the wall. A wrought iron door stood there, but it hadn't been there before.

"I guess that's it," Katie said as she walked over to the door. She glanced back at Ethan before pushing it open.

As they entered the large, spacious room, the people that were already there turned to look at them. Ginny Weasley, Fred and George, Neville Longbottom, Cho Chang, and some other Gryffindors from Harry's year were already there. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood in the front of the room in front of large bookshelves, lined with books on magical defense.

"Thanks for coming," Hermione said, smiling at them.

"Hey, Harry, what's this stuff?" one of the Gryffindor boys asked. He was in the back of the room were some Sneakoscopes and other objects were.

"Dark detectors," Harry replied. "Basically they show when Dark wizards or enemies are around, but you don't want to rely on them too much, they can be fooled…" He looked into the foggy glass behind him, and then suddenly turned his back on it as if he had seen something he didn't want to see.

_Chicken,_ Ethan thought. He crossed his arms over his chest and waited for further instructions.

"Well, I've been thinking about the sort of stuff we ought to do first and—er—"

Hermione had her hand in the air, like a student in class. When Harry didn't continue speaking, she said, "I think we should elect a leader."

Cho looked around at Hermione like she thought the girl had gone daft. "Harry's the leader," she said as though it were the most obvious idea in the world.

"Yes," Hermione said with a sniff, "but I think we ought to vote on it properly. It makes it formal and it gives him authority. So—anyone who thinks Harry ought to be our leader?"

Everyone's hand went into the air, even though Ethan's and Zacharias Smith's went up reluctantly. It was Harry's group, after all. He would be the one teaching, wouldn't he?

After an awkward and short thank you speech from Harry, he turned back to Hermione. For being the leader, she was doing all the work.

"I also think we ought to have a name," she said brightly. "It would promote a feeling of team spirit and dignity, don't you think?"

"Can we be the Anti-Umbridge League?" Angelia asked hopefully. She elbowed Ethan in the side when he sniggered.

"Or the Ministry of Magic are Morons Group?" suggested Fred.

"I'd go with that," Ethan said with a smirk. Katie rolled her eyes at him.

Fred gave Ethan a high five. "One vote my way!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I was thinking more of a name that didn't tell everyone what we were up to, so we can refer to it safely outside meetings."

Cho timidly spoke up, "The Defense Association?" She went on a little more bravely when she noticed everyone was listening. "The DA for short, so nobody knows what we're talking about?"

"The DA sounds good," agreed Ginny. "Only let's make it stand for Dumbledore's Army, because that's the Ministry's worst fear, isn't it?"

Ethan quirked an eyebrow, feeling pretty keen on the name himself. There were other murmurs of appreciation and agreement.

"I like that name," Katie said out loud. Ethan just nodded at her.

"All right then, all in favor of the DA?" asked Hermione. "That's a majority—motion passed!"

Ethan pfft'd at the fake pretense of a town council or something or another. Katie gave him one of her looks and he immediately sobered up into an innocent smile.

Hermione took the piece of parchment that had all their signatures on it and pinned it to the wall. With a quill, she wrote "DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY" in big letters across the top.

"Right, shall we get to practicing then?" Harry asked. "I was thinking, the first thing we should is _Expelliarmus_, you know, the Disarming Charm. I know it's pretty basic but I've found it really useful—"

"Oh, _please_," Zaharias Smith spoke up. "I don't think _Expelliarmus_ is exactly going to help us against You-Know-Who, do you?"

"I've used it against him," Harry said quietly. "It saved my life in June."

No one said anything. Zacharias opened his mouth to respond, but no sound came out and he was left looking like a fish out of water. Ethan stared at Harry, focused on his eyes. Harry could have told him how he fought You-Know-Who a thousand times and he wouldn't have believed him, not unless he had the look in his eyes that he did now. He felt a shiver run down his spine, and to his dismay, he was starting to think that there was something of credit to this Harry Potter.

"But if you think it's beneath you," Harry continued levelly, "then you can leave." When nobody made a move to leave, he continued. "Okay. I reckon we should all divide into pairs and practice."

Ethan paired with Katie, and everyone began to practice the Disarming Charm immediately. He was able to disarm Katie three times in a row, so on the fourth time he purposely delayed the spell just long enough to give Katie the leg up. His wand flew out of his hand and he made a show of watching it land behind him after bouncing off the wall.

"Wow! Good job, Katie!" Ethan called as he went to retrieve his wand. He straightened up and turned to look at her, and nearly fell on his arse in fear.

"_Expelliarmus!_" Katie called and he flew back against the wall, sliding down until he was sitting on the floor.

He looked up at her with an appalled face. "Why did you do that?"

Katie pointed her wand in his face, her other fist on her hip. "Don't you dare _let_ me disarm you again, Ethan Gage."

Ethan's mouth opened and closed over and over again, but no words came out, so he just looked pretty dumb.

The sound of a whistle blowing caught their attention, and that of everybody else's. They turned to see Harry with a whistle. Once everyone had stopped calling spells, he said, "That wasn't bad, all, but we've overrun. Same time, same place next week?"

Angelina immediately stood up straight, hands on her hips. "The Quidditch Season's about to start! We need team practices too!"

"How about next Wednesday night then?" Harry amended. "Right. We can decide on additional meetings then." He then pulled out a map and tapped it with his wand. Ethan watched curiously, but said nothing, as everyone was instructed to leave in pairs and in threes, but not all at once. He left with Katie and Angelina in tow.

Katie wrapped her arm around Ethan's as they headed back toward the common room. "That was fun!" she said with a hop and a huge grin.

x x x

After what seemed like forever to Ethan, the first Quidditch match of the season had finally arrived. Because of his excitement, Ethan was up an hour earlier than normal and beat everyone to the Great Hall for breakfast. He was almost done with his first serving of eggs, bacon, and toast when Katie sat next to him, looking a bit bewildered.

"Wow, you're up early," she said with a little smirk. "What's going on?"

"First match of the season!"

Katie rolled her eyes as she began to fill her plate with delicious breakfast foods. "You act like a kid in a candy store every year at this time."

Ethan shrugged and glanced down the Gryffindor table. He noticed Harry and Hermione trying to coax some food into a rather green looking Ron Weasley. He nudged Katie with his elbow and jerked his head in Ron's direction.

"Looks like someone isn't nearly as excited as you," Katie observed as she bit into a piece of toast, watching the group down the table. "Poor Ron. Do you think he's seen the Slytherins' badges yet?"

Ethan looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. "Badges?"

In lieu of an answer, Katie pointed over to the Slytherin table. Ethan obediently looked in that direction. All of the Slytherins were wearing badges in their house colors that read _Weasley is our King._ Feeling disgusted, Ethan was tempted to stand and go rip one of the badges off and make the slimy snake eat it.

"They obviously think Ron is going to be a bad Keeper," Katie said with a small sigh. "I hope his nerves don't make that come true!" She finished off her breakfast quickly and then pecked Ethan on the cheek. "I'm going to head on down to the changing rooms. Don't forget to cheer for me!" she said with a bright smile before bouncing out of the Great Hall.

Ethan grumbled. He'd be much more cheerful if he could actually be _playing_ with her. He stuck a piece of toast in his mouth and stood, deciding to head down to the pitch early. A few people were already heading that way so he wanted to make sure he got the perfect seat, which was one that was good enough to see everything, and close to the stairs in case Gryffindor needed their back up Beater. He met Mike and Rover along the way, Mike as eager as ever for the first match.

The air was dry and cold, stinging Ethan's throat as he made his way into the stands. The dew had frozen on the grass and it crunched as the students walked over it. Luckily, there was no wind and the sky was clear. There wasn't a cloud or piece of fog to be seen—perfect visibility. _If Ron does trip up, at least Harry will be able to see without any problem and he can get the Snitch to end the game before Slytherin can get ahead._

Before long, Madam Hooch was on the field with the two teams. The crowds were already up to their usual volume of roaring, cheering, whistling, and shouts for their teams—and against the other team. They only got louder as the players kicked off from the ground and the game began.

Ron immediately took off towards the goalposts while Harry began scoping the field. As per his usual technique, he flew up above the game and hovered there, his eyes scanning the Pitch over multiple times for any glint of gold. When this proved fruitless, he began making laps of the field. Draco Malfoy was doing the exact same.

_He just copies Harry, always has,_ Ethan thought bitterly as he watched the blond shoot around the field.

"And it's Johnson—Johnson with the Quaffle, what a player that girl is, I've been saying it for years but she still won't go out with me—"

"JORDAN!"

Ethan jumped as McGonagall's voice boomed through the megaphone Lee always used. He just refused to use the voice enhancing charm.

"…and she's ducked Warrington, she's passed Montague, she's—ouch—been hit from behind by a Bludger from Crabbe"—at this Ethan cringed—"Montague catches the Quaffle, Montague heading back up the pitch and—nice Bludger there from George Weasley, that's a Bludger to the head for Montague, he drops the Quaffle, caught by Katie Bell"—Ethan cheered loudly, feeling a sudden surge of affection for his girlfriend—"Katie Bell of Gryffindor reverse-passes to Alicia Spinnet and Spinnet's away—"

It was almost impossible to hear Lee's voice over the din of the crowd. The cheering, booing, shouts and singing drowned it out. Wait—singing?

Ethan strained his ears towards the Slytherins, who were all joined together as they sang:

"_Weasley cannot save a thing,_

_He cannot block a single ring,_

_That's why Slytherins all sing:_

_Weasley is our King._

"_Weasley was born in a bin_

_He always lets the Quaffle in_

_Weasley will make sure we win_

_Weasley is our King."_

Mike growled. "Why those snob-nosed, slime-loving little gits—"

"—and Alicia passes back to Angelina!" Lee spoke loudly into his microphone, obviously trying hard to drown out the words of the Slytherins' song. But they just continued to sing more loudly and more obnoxiously than before. "Come on now, Angelina—looks like she's got just the Keeper to beat!—SHE SHOOTS—SHE—aaaah…"

"Oh come on, Angelina! You can do better than that!" Ethan yelled as she flew by, her face purple with rage at the Slytherin Keeper blocking her shot. She shot Ethan a mean look as she zipped by. Alicia and Katie immediately went after Warrington who had the Quaffle. He was arrogantly flying right between them with a sick grin on his face.

"_Weasley is our King,_

_Weasley is our King,_

_He always lets the Quaffle in_

_Weasley is our King."_

Throughout the entire game the Slytherins sang their song as loudly as they could, and unfortunately it was starting to affect the Gryffindor team. More than once Harry stopped looking for the Snitch to turn to look at his friend, who as hovering in front of the goal posts looking much like a puppy that had been kicked by its master. Slytherin was leading by twenty with Gryffindor without a single point, but Ethan's faith held out. There was plenty of time—Harry could catch the Snitch and they would win.

When Ron let two more goals past him, Ethan almost felt tempted to yell at him, but he stopped. The boy was already freaking out enough, and Angelina would surely beat him with a broom if he psyched out his own team.

"_WEASLEY WAS BORN IN A BIN_

_HE ALWAYS LETS THE QUAFFLE IN_

_WEASLEY WILL MAKE SURE WE WIN…"_

At last, Harry saw the Snitch. Ethan knew it as soon as he made a dive with such determination and precision that there was no mistaking it. Within moments, Malfoy was on his tail. The two Seekers were blurs of their uniform colors as they raced for the golden Snitch. Every now and then even Ethan could catch a glimpse of it when the light hit it just right.

They were only feet from the ground now. Ethan was out of his chair, his fists clenched tightly as he hoped with all his might that Harry would catch it. He and Malfoy were neck in neck. Harry reached out his arm for the Snitch and Malfoy did the same until finally—

Harry caught the Snitch! Malfoy snatched at nothing but cold, winter air.

Gryffindor had won! It no longer mattered that Ron had let those goals in. The stands erupted with cheers. Everyone cheered, even the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, all except the Slytherins, whose song was dead on their tongues.

Ethan saw it before anyone else. "HARRY! WATCH OUT!" he yelled as loudly as he could, but it was no use. A Bludger slammed right into the small of his back, knocking him forward off his broom.

Madam Hooch's whistle's shrill cry pierced through the crowd as they began to boo and jeer angrily. Everyone landed around him to see if he was all right. He stood up and brushed himself off, waving away everyone's concern. Ethan was already making his way onto the Pitch. He was almost to Katie's side when he heard Draco Malfoy.

"Saved Weasley's neck, haven't you?" he said with a sneer. He couldn't hide his fury at being defeated, however. "I've never seen a worse Keeper…but then he was _born in a bin_…did you like my lyrics, Potter?"

Harry gallantly tried to ignore Draco. He turned his back on the blond and watched as Ron glumly made his way towards the changing rooms all alone.

"Wanted to write a few more verses, we did!" Draco continued. "But we couldn't find rhymes for _fat _and _ugly_—we wanted to sing about his mother, see…" The boy didn't quit, and Ethan could almost see the hair standing up on the Gryffindor team. Everyone was itching to beat him to a pulp, but tried to ignore him instead. "We couldn't fit _useless loser _in either, you see…for his father…"

Fred and George stiffened, staring at Draco with murder in their eyes. Katie glanced at Ethan with a fearful expression. She could see what was coming too.

"Leave it!" Angelina tried to take Fred by the arm to pull him back. "He's just a jumped up little—"

"—but you like the Weasleys, don't you, Potter?" Malfoy continued. "Spend holidays and everything there, don't you? Can't see how you stand the stink, but I suppose when you've been dragged up by Muggles, even the Weasley's hovel smells okay—"

Harry grabbed George's arm as he moved forward. Ethan had to join Angelina to hold Fred back; he was straining against them like a pit bull ready for a fight. Katie called to Madam Hooch, but she was too busy berating Crabbe, who had sent the illegal Bludger at Harry.

"Or perhaps you can remember what _your_ mother's house stank like, Potter, and Weasley's pigsty reminds you of it—"

Ethan could have sworn he heard the last nerve snap in two.

"HARRY! GEORGE! _NO!_" Angelina and Katie chorused together in fear, but it was too late. Harry and George had launched themselves at Malfoy, determined to rip his snotty nose off.

Ethan moved forward eagerly, knowing that getting a punch in on Malfoy would be sweeter than Christmas candy, but Katie grabbed him by the back of the shirt and hauled him back with all her might.

"_Impedimenta!_" Madam Hooch called and Harry and George were thrown back onto their arses.

"What do you think you're doing?" Madam Hooch screeched. "I've never seen behavior like it—back up to the castle, both of you, and straight to your Head of House's office! Go! _Now!_"

The two marched off the Pitch towards the castle, not even bothering to change out of their uniforms first. The rest of the team stood there in shocked horror.

"C'mon, we need to clear this up and I need to get up there. I'm sure McGonagall will want to see me before long," Angelina said.

No one replied, but silently headed back to the changing rooms. Ethan waited outside for Katie, and walked with her and Angelina back up to the castle. They sat in front of the fire in the common room to wait. Mike and Rover joined them, and they filled them in on everything that Malfoy had said to get Harry and George so riled up. Eventually, McGonagall appeared to call Angelina away to her office.

x x x


End file.
